"Exciting," I said. "Unusual. I suppose this goes on all the time."
"Not all the time," Elonie demurred. "As Yandro has heard, the battle-areas are limited, in the region of the poles. There is much maneuvering, but not too much contact. This incident was an order."
"Order?" I repeated.
"We sent the man you saw, knowing that you would want this televiso view of how we made war."
I snorted and faced her angrily. "You sent him to his death? So that I could see a show? You value life very cheaply, Elonie."
III
She smiled, as if I had complimented her. "Oh, the man was up for elimination. He was supernumerary. Of course, if he had succeeded in his capture of prisoners and one of the devices that make those power-shields—"
I remembered what Stribakar had said to Gederr. "He was brave," I said, "and it was a shame that he had to die. You want me to be a leader in war like that? I have other ideas of warfare."
All of them looked at me, and one spoke from behind Gederr: "We had hoped that Yandro would say that. Yandro means to lead us in person—in a great and decisive battle."